


To the Circle

by chaosfay



Series: Delylah and Cullen [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Abandonment, Child Abandonment, Childhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-19 17:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3617799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosfay/pseuds/chaosfay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Delylah just wanted to fall asleep.  It was too hot, and cooling the room seemed to be the best idea.  She didn't know it would result in her being taken to the place her parents called the Circle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To the Circle

**Author's Note:**

> This is about when Delylah's magic was first made known to others. She's six years old when this happens, but her abilities showed up when she just a little over five. No one knew about it, and she saw no reason to tell anyone.

Delylah lay in bed, her favorite doll tucked in with her.  She tried to sleep, but it was simply too hot.  Already she had kicked off the blanket, then the sheet, and was half tempted to remove her sleeping shift, but her mother had given her firm words the last time her nurse had found her naked in bed.  She didn’t want to get into trouble again.

No, she decided to make it snow.  It started out a little cooler, but not enough.  She just needed it to be enough that she could fall asleep.  

All the running around with her cousin that afternoon had left Delylah exhausted.  She’d fallen asleep at dinner, embarrassing her mother.  Her nurse escorted her to her room, wrapping Delylah’s hair for the night, the satin pillow set up for her, and prepared her for sleep.  It was so hard to stay awake, but now it was just as difficult to fall asleep.

Delylah wanted to play in her dreams.  They were fun!  There were friends to play with in the Fade, and she could only see them if she slept.

Just a little colder.  She’d been making things cold for months now.  It was so easy!  Her drinks were always cold, her iced cream never melted, and when the wind was blowing she would make it a little colder.  Her nurse made her laugh every time she told Delylah her hands were too cold, or when she asked her to touch her neck because it was so hot.  

The ceiling was snowing now.  Delylah liked snow, but not much.  Winter was too cold.  Frost was nice, but snow wasn’t.  She sighed, lying there looking at the ceiling.  Now she would have to make it stop.  It was so frustrating trying to find that middle spot between cool air and snowing.  She just wanted frost.  It was pretty on her windows.

She heard her parents outside her door, speaking quietly.  Knowing she would be in trouble if they found out she was awake, Delylah quickly pulled the blanket over her and closed her eyes.  It was too cold now to sleep in just her shift.

The door opened, and there was silence.  She didn’t hear them at all.  They were so quiet.  Too quiet.  Was something wrong?  Did they know she was awake?  Then her mother screamed.  Delylah bolted upright, looking around for whatever scared her.  Was there a monster in her room?  

“No!  It can’t--”  Her mother fell to her knees, her dark skin shades lighter now.  She looked so scared!  

Her father stood there, looking from the ceiling then to Delylah.  The snow had stopped falling, the cold air warming back up.  He then stared at her, horror all over his face.

Delylah ran across her room to them.  She’ll hold them like they hold her when she’s afraid.  That should help.  

Her mother fell back, moving away as quickly as she could out of the room, away from her daughter.  “Stay away from me!  STAY AWAY!”  

“Mama, what’s wrong?”  Delylah looked at her father, but he had bent down to help her mother up off the floor.  “Papa, is something wrong?  Did I do something to Mama?”  She could feel tears coming down her face now.  She had never seen her parents like this.

“Get away from me, demon!  You are no child of mine!”  Her mother ran now, down the hall and around a corner.  

“I’m not a demon.  Papa, what did I do?”  

He just looked at her, no words coming out.  She didn’t know the look on his face; she had never seen it before.  He looked so sad.

There were more people in the hallway now.  Her nurse approached at her father’s beckoning.  She approached slowly, unsure of what was happening.  “Pack her things.  Quickly.  We must take her to the Circle.”  He turned away, following after Delylah’s mother.

The nurse moved quickly, ignoring Delylah as she opened a trunk and packed it with Delylah’s clothes.  None of the really nice ones.  Just her regular day clothes and a few pairs of shoes.  Then she added the box with Delylah’s hair things, the satin pillow, a few dolls, and the blanket Delylah slept with.

“We have to get you dressed now.”  Her nurse removed the hair wrap, loosening the soft curls carefully.  Removing her sleeping shift, she helped Delylah into a simple day dress and a pair of soft shoes, then placed the shift and wrap into the trunk, as well as the doll Delylah held.  

“What’s the Circle?”  Delylah’s voice was soft.  She was so confused.  Was she in trouble for pretending to sleep?  

“It’s a place for Mages--for people who use magic.  You’ll be safe there.”  Her voice was soft, kind.  She turned to face Delylah, her face wet with tears.  “I’m so sorry.”  She pulled her in for a hug.  Delylah could hear the nurse’s heart racing, the sobs she held back.

“Why can’t I stay here?”

“Because it’s not safe.”  She pulled back, looking into Delylah’s grey eyes with nothing but sympathy.  Seeing the confusion on her face, “It’s not safe for them to have you here.  You’ll understand later.”    


Two servants entered the room and carried the trunk away.  The nurse took hold of Delylah’s hand and led her away.  Everyone was awake now.  She saw her cousin, his dark skin paled with fear.  Delylah smiled at him, not knowing what else to do.  He quickly moved back into the guest room, slamming the door behind him.  Her aunt and uncle did much the same.  She just cried harder now.  Her nurse picked her up, carrying her with gentle ease as she walked down the stairs and out the door.    


“You won’t be coming with us.  Just place her in the carriage.”  Her mother’s voice was sharp, cold.  “You two, secure her things.”

Delylah looked at her nurse as she was set into the carriage.  “Good-bye, Delylah.”  The woman bowed before turning away.  Delylah only cried harder.  Something was very wrong.

“Come, sit beside me.”  She turned and found her father seated.  With assistance, Delylah managed to get up onto the seat.    


“Papa, why are you crying?”

He didn’t say anything, but instead took a ribbon from his pocket.  It was bright red, almost like her hair.  He turned her around just enough to gather her hair together, and wrapped the ribbon around it a few times before tying it into a neat bow.  Turning her back around to face him, “You’ll be prettier than your mother when you grow up.”  He kissed her head and pulled her close.

When her mother climbed into the carriage, she all but slammed the door closed.  They began moving immediately, and at a fast pace.  Not once did her mother look at her.  Delylah was too afraid to say anything now.  Her father was crying; she could feel him shaking with his sobs.  He made little effort to hide his tears.

Delylah looked out the window of the carriage.  They were moving so fast, and it made everything look so blurry.  Or maybe that was the tears?  They bounced a lot, but her father kept his grip firm.  She wanted to sleep, but couldn’t.  She was too afraid, too confused.

Then they slowed and stopped.  There was some yelling from the driver, and then the creaking noise of a gate being opened.  They moved again, but not for very long.  As soon as they stopped again her mother was out of the carriage, as though she couldn’t get away quickly enough.  Her father exited more slowly and helped Delylah out, setting her on the ground.

It was too dark to see the size of the tower, or much of anything.  Two men in armor approached.  Delylah knew that armor.  One of her uncles wore it because he was a Templar.  Was her uncle here?  A couple of women were behind them, one with a sunburst symbol on her forehead.  They were too far away for her to hear them, but one of the Templars took her trunk and followed the lady with the sun on her forehead.  The other woman came closer; the Templar was speaking to her mother now, and her father was crying harder.    


“Good evening, Delylah.  My name is Lydia.”  She was smiling, but her eyes were sad.  She extended her hand to Delylah.  “You’ll be living here now.”

Immediately Delylah moved behind her father. “I want to go home.  Papa, take me home!  I won’t pretend to be sleeping anymore!  I promise!”

He turned around, taking hold of her shoulder.  His eyes were swollen with crying.  Kneeling before her, “This is your new home, sweetheart.  I’m sorry, but you have to live here now.”

Her lip was quivering, fresh tears coming down her face.  “What did I do!  I promise not to do it again.  I promise!  Please take me home!”

“Damon, we must leave now.”  Her mother moved by them quickly, ignoring Delylah completely.    


Sighing, “You didn’t do anything wrong.  You’re a Mage, sweetheart.  Uncle Byron is here; he’ll help you and keep you safe.”  He pulled her in, hugging her tight to him.  “I’m sorry.”  Then he was standing, leaving her there as he climbed into the carriage, closing the door behind him.

They left her.    


Delylah just stood there, watching them leave, before she fell to her knees.  “Mama!  Papa!  I’m sorry!”  They just kept going.  “Please, come back.”  She felt anger rising in her.  No one told her what she did wrong, and her mother didn’t even look at her.  Her father left her there, in a place she didn’t know.  Ripping her ribbon out of her hair, she threw it on the ground.  If they were going to forget her, she was going to forget them.    


One of the Templars removed his helm, handing it to Lydia.  “Delylah, it’s time to go inside now.  Come on.”    


“Uncle Byron?”  He lifted her to her feet and picked her up off the ground, cradling her in his arms--the armor a welcome cold against the summer heat. Delylah simply cried.    


She woke the next morning in a room with four other girls.  It wasn’t a dream.  None of it was.

The girls didn’t talk to her, didn’t look at her.  Maybe they were angry with her like her parents were?  Or were they scared of her?    


On the table next to her bed was a small silver box.  Flipping the latch that held it shut she opened it.  Inside the box was her ribbon, the dirt from the ground washed off.  It was nestled in a bed of soft velvet, the ribbon itself coiled up into a roll.  She didn’t touch it, but instead closed the box.    


She wasn’t going home now.


End file.
